Internet Security

The minute you connect a car to the internet, you’re exposing it to the risk of hacking – and even if it’s only the entertainment system that’s supposed to be online, a skilled hacker can now remotely take control of just about any electronically controlled part of your car, including the steering, throttle and brakes. And this isn't some distant thing to worry about in the future. One Wired reporter just had the terrifying experience of having his Jeep Cherokee taken over by hackers while he was on the freeway. Like a scene in a horror movie, he found himself a helpless passenger in his car as he lost control of its functions one by one.

A new software tool developed at Columbia University is providing valuable insights into how some very popular websites make use of the sensitive data they collect from their users. The software could help sniff out potential abuses from advertisers and contribute in making the usage of sensitive data a lot more transparent to the end user.
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When Sony began restoring the PSN earlier this week - albeit in limited form starting with gaming, music and video services - many believed the end was in sight for the problems facing the network that had seen it offline for nearly a month after the details of 77 million users were stolen. In yet another hiccup for the service, Nyleveia.com yesterday revealed a hack had surfaced that allowed attackers to change a user's password using the email address linked to the user's account and the user's date of birth - exactly the kind of information that was compromised in the original attack on the service that saw it taken offline in the first place.
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Despite many of us willingly letting the online world have regular glimpses into our so-called private lives through social media portals, most would cry foul if such information was collected without our consent or knowledge. Researchers have just completed a study of scripting code contained within the documents used to display web pages in browsers and found evidence of something called history sniffing. This is where website owners gain access to browser history to track your progress around the web.
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Ars Technica reports that there has been a marked (albeit temporary) drop in global spam levels following the shutdown of two rogue ISPs and an international spam operation. The three takedowns have all occurred within the last six weeks and are the result of work by security researchers and network professionals.
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October 12, 2007 Online shopping has become a way of life for many consumers with 39 per cent of adults in the US reportedly making a monthly purchase online according to a study from icrossing. With the advancements in technology has come increased security risks and fees, opening up a market for new approaches to online financial transactions. One of the newest players in this field is Revolution Money - a company founded by the co-creator of the AOL Internet service, Steve Case, that claims to have developed a better way of managing money in cyberspace.
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October 9, 2007 Identity fraud is an increasingly prevalent global problem and this week marks the third annual National Identity Fraud Prevention Week in the UK. The campaign, backed by both the public and private sectors, aims to educate consumers and businesses as to the dangers of identity fraud and the preventative steps that can be taken.
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May 31, 2007 Here's an interesting concept: Yoggie's new Pico is a mini Linux computer on a tiny USB dongle that plugs into a laptop and acts as a physical separation between the host PC and the internet. All Internet traffic is cleaned via 13 inbuilt security applications before it even makes it to the host PC's operating system. The net effect is that a portable computer can have the same level of internet security as it has when plugged into the corporate network. Because there's now a standalone processor handling all security applications, the Yoggie actually enhances the performance of the host PC too.
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